Last mission to repair the Hubble telescopeHubble space telescope discoveries have enriched our understanding of the cosmos. In this special report, you will see facts about the Hubble space telescope, discoveries it has made and what the last mission's goals are.

For their own goodFifty years ago, they were screwed-up kids sent to the Florida School for Boys to be straightened out. But now they are screwed-up men, scarred by the whippings they endured. Read the story and see a video and portrait gallery.

Today's Letters: Sheriff's in dire straits? Prove it

Sheriff Bob White's request for an $11-million budget increase is absurd and an unnecessary expense to the already overburdened taxpayers.

It is very easy to spend money that isn't yours. The taxpayers and the County Commission need to send him back to the drawing board to make use of his already exorbitant budget.

His office states crime is up 11 percent over last year. To me, that meant the department isn't doing a very good job or else he counts driving with an expired driver's license and/or registration as crime when they are traffic infractions.

Make do with the staff he has and forgo the additional 109 employees he wants until a full audit of expenditures is done by either a volunteer citizen group or a highly qualified efficiency expert. If he can't show the department is in dire straits and the citizens of Pasco are in danger, he doesn't get his request.

Commissioners need to regroup and take control of the Pasco Sheriff's Office budget. Anything less would be a failure to do their jobs and an indication to voters they need to remove the commission and put in office committed, competent people.

Pasco residents will not be passive or ignored anymore.

Roger J. Munson, New Port Richey

Move to Florida was a mistake Aug. 12 letter

High cost of living crushes dream

I moved to New Port Richey a year ago. I am a retired teacher and a widow. In my lifetime, I have made some mistakes; however, moving to Florida from Indianapolis has been the single biggest mistake of my life.

Like the letter writer, I plan to sell the home I have purchased here and move elsewhere. The cost of taxes, insurance, etc., is terrible. I will also say thanks to every company and taxing entity who demands more and more from the public. Your greed has ruined the dream of retiring to Florida.

Diane Browning, New Port Richey

Right to bear arms still intact

It's perfectly clear to me that neither letter writer Catherine Difani nor Arthur Hayhoe understands the Second Amendment. Ms. Difani thinks that the federal government should regulate every firearm purchase as though each one was a machine gun, and Arthur Hayhoe is expecting us to believe that the Second Amendment has outlived its purpose and has no place in today's society.

The Second Amendment clearly states "the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." It can't be any clearer that each and every law-abiding citizen in our country has the individual right to own and possess firearms. The people's right to individual self-defense is a basic inherent human right which is timeless, and our Founding Fathers clearly embraced that concept.

Another falsehood is that the National Rifle Association doesn't back legislative constraints on all firearms, or that such legal constraints don't exist. Quite the opposite is true. The NRA's goal has always been to teach and promote the safe use of all firearms, and to keep them in the hands of responsible, law-abiding citizens through legislation.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled that D.C.'s draconian antigun laws are in violation of the Second Amendment's individual right to keep and bear arms.

The Constitution of the United States, including its Bill of Rights, is one of the greatest documents ever written. It expresses the timeless freedoms that we all cherish. The right to keep and bear arms is a linchpin of our freedom. It is absurd to say that any of these freedoms have a time limit or are not applicable today, tomorrow and for all future generations.